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Here is a remarkably odd, undeniably entertaining real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions that during the 1990s created a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of homemade recordings. One could argue that the original documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and in any business.

This is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" is out December 25th in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.